I’ve been raising my identical twin sons — who happen to have Down syndrome — for nearly 6 years now. By all counts, they have “special needs”. We’re now in the process of confirming a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder for my 9-year-old daughter who is also in our district’s gifted program. SHE too has “special needs”….
Category Archives: Raising Awareness
Bug Off
My sweet little boy has a list of diagnoses a mile long—most of which I could care less about, but the doctors insist on fussing over. However, there is this one thing that causes me to worry incessantly, act a fool in public, and makes my husband roll his eyes (or maybe he’s planning an…
People First?
Since I’m on the subject of pet peeves I figure I’ll cover another issue that’s not really a pet peeve of mine, but something I’m curious about other’s opinion. In last week’s post, I wrote about the proper term for individuals with Trisomy 21. It was pointed out to me that in England and Canada…
Here’s the Thing About Autism
Autism is a spectrum. When you’ve met a child with autism, you’ve only met ONE CHILD WITH AUTISM. They are all vastly different in their needs and strengths. They are all exquisitely beautiful and inherently amazing. And no, life is no picnic. But when have I ever claimed it was? No two snowflakes are alike,…
Finally, A Diagnosis!
Note: This was excerpted from a more detailed (read: long-winded) post on my blog at Walkonthehappyside.wordpress.com I’ve been skating through life with identical twins born with an extra 21st chromosome and an Old Soul who was always a peaceful, nature-loving kid… Until her second grade teacher began yelling at her for her daydreaming ways. The constant barage…
If We Build It…
Tying in with last week’s playground challenge, I thought I’d take a moment to tell you about a project I’ve been involved with since last September. This is a “to be continued…” post since the project is not complete yet, but I wanted to get started on the story. A friend of ours is an…
Let’s Talk About SEX
Long considered a TABOO subject, sexuality among the disabled is rising into public view because many special needs adults are enjoying an active sex life. As special needs parents, what should we know about this touchy subject? What can we do today to prepare our children for a healthy sexual relationship in the future?
I Hate Being Late!
As the bird tweets, we miss a lot of fun activities! That’s because we’re always late to the party… literally! We’ve missed the better half of birthday parties, christenings, the walk down the aisle, the eulogy, the sun. You name it. We’ve missed it. Anyone else having trouble getting places on time since they had…
I was desperate for sleep
Define Sleep: A natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body, in which the eyes usually close and consciousness is completely or partially lost, so that there is a decrease in bodily movement and responsiveness to external stimuli. During sleep the brain in humans and other mammals undergoes a characteristic cycle of brain-wave…
Where’s the Line?
I realize I’ve been writing here for several weeks now without really introducing myself or my daughter. I haven’t written much about her specific challenges or my responses to them. I guess I expected all of this to come out more naturally, but there’s a hang up — which I’ll explain shortly. Our daughter is…